“What’s Justin Vernon going to do once he leaves the cabin?” I wondered. I was an early adopter of For Emma, Forever Ago and that album hit me at just the right time (read: amidst a year of pure heartbreak). I wasn’t shocked when its eponymous follow-up hit me at just the right time (read: falling in love with my soulmate) yet again. “Blood Bank” led me to believe that Vernon’s songwriting might become more direct, but no, he went the Loveless route of essentially using words as another instrument. I still love this album, but not as much as I did in 2011 when Jenny and I would just lay in my bed and listen to it all the way through. There’s nothing more romantic than a big, ethereal track like “Holocene.” Or the 80s synths and the emotional intensity of the epic closer “Beth, Rest.” Moreover, even though the lyrics are frequently nonsensical, designed more as evocative wordscapes than meant to tell you something, the melodies are outstanding all the way through. Vernon only got more out there as the decade wore on, and while 22, A Million and i, i are both great records, I don’t think either of them can touch this one. Part of that is by virtue of this one having such a strong nostalgic and emotional pull, but it is what it is.
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